Shiradi ghat road sanctioned Rs 95 crore: PWD Minister

 Replying to questions by Kota Srinivas Poojary (BJP) in the Legislative Council on Tuesday, Minister for Public Works Department, H C Mahadevappa, said that about Rs 95 crores has been sanctioned by the Union government towards works on the Shiradi ghat road stretch.

The road gets deteriorated due to heavy rainfall in the area, the minister added. The technical bids for construction of concrete roads are in the evaluation stage.

The Shiradi ghat road stretch between Sakaleshpur - Gundya continues to be in a dilapidated condition as the government had a hard time finding contractors to take up repair works.In November last year, the government had called tenders, while four contractors responded only one contractor participated in the tender called for asphalting the road. As a result, the government had not been able to proceed with repair works on the road and had called for re-tenders on January 20.

According to sanction accorded by the Centre, plans are on to construct a concrete road for a stretch of 13.62 kms at a cost of Rs 46.44 crores and asphalt another, 12.38 kms at a cost of Rs 48.10 crores as an immediate solution to the plight of the Shiradi Ghat stretch.  However, as a permanent solution, the government has proposed a 'Green Bypass Project' with the assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The proposed project includes the construction of five tunnels of 7.7 kms length, in the Maranahalli-Gundya section and a high-arch bridge stretching across 3.9 kms. The 18 km bypass road is estimated to cost Rs 2,200 crores, according to the minister.

The minister was responding to a query by MLC Kota Srinivasa Poojary (BJP) who sought to know whether the government was working towards any definitive steps for a permanent solution for the damaged Shiradi Ghat road.